How accurately do you count your cals/macros?

[Loochi]

How accurate do you count your calories and macros?

I always try to get it exactly the same... My friend sometimes gets 20-30 calories different as long as he hits his protein..

Am I being a bit obsessive doing it..? I feel it's the best way to track progress... How do you do it?

[looseends]

I used to count everything but I don't anymore. I just make sure my protein is hit everyday. When I bulk I eat carbs with every meal. When I cut I increase my fats a bit and eat carbs with 1/2 my meals. I usually use the mirror to gauge if I need to adjust something. I'm sure counting everything exactly would be more efficient, but I really just don't care anymore.

[tominho7]

No need to stress over being 100% accurate, because you will never be even if you tried.

BTW 20-30 calories is like 4-6 sticks of gum. think about that

[Ryan314]

I have found that if I don't track (especially while bulking) I end up underestimating and not eating enough. But for the most part as long as I hit my protein requirements, it's not specific count everyday for calories.

[Loochi]

I used to count everything but I don't anymore. I just make sure my protein is hit everyday. When I bulk I eat carbs with every meal. When I cut I increase my fats a bit and eat carbs with 1/2 my meals. I usually use the mirror to gauge if I need to adjust something. I'm sure counting everything exactly would be more efficient, but I really just don't care anymore.

Fair enough man.. I just think counting for me gave me great results, whatever works for you.

No need to stress over being 100% accurate, because you will never be even if you tried.

BTW 20-30 calories is like 4-6 sticks of gum. think about that

THAT'S true... But I sorta like to take out 20 cals a week and it really does work. Even though it's a snail like process.

I have found that if I don't track (especially while bulking) I end up underestimating and not eating enough. But for the most part as long as I hit my protein requirements, it's not specific count everyday for calories.

Yeah dude, well said about the bulking.. I mean, I aim to hit my protein and fat numbers but I always hit my carbs and that's what I decrease... Cheap and tasty trying to have variety as well to get dat dere micros

[tominho7]

THAT'S true... But I sorta like to take out 20 cals a week and it really does work. Even though it's a snail like process.

Dude that's a bit obsessive. I am not saying don't track calories, just learn to be more flexible about it. Your mental health is also important.

[Loochi]

How do you decrease your calories then? Like by the hundred or something?

[tominho7]

Yes, by the hundreds. I am even surprised you could make progress with such small reductions.

[Loochi]

Yes, by the hundreds. I am even surprised you could make progress with such small reductions.

How long before you reduce if you do by the 100's? The progress is nice man, for 33weeks lost 1lb a week... Not bad lol. But later it started to stall, should have recalculated my needs and done it again.

[Flyin Ryan]

i ballpark it.
i'm a bit more cautious when i'm attempting to cut, though.
i'll weigh out my meats and cheeses, as well as peanut butter and anything else that's calorie dense.
otherwise, i guesstimate and still see solid results.

[JMLeafs]

The actual accuracy and consistency of the information given on nutritional labels would blow the minds of a few people in here.

[Roots47]

I track macros and calories for every meal of the day including anything ingested in between like fruit juices, etc. I need to be absolutely sure I'm in caloric surplus.

[Loochi]

I track macros and calories for every meal of the day including anything ingested in between like fruit juices, etc. I need to be absolutely sure I'm in caloric surplus.

Yeah me too.. This is why I do it... I feel like I coulda been leaner if I did this last time, I was getting progress until I stalled, thought I would just need to do refeeds and such, need to always track not do it once and then piss off... It doesn't take long anyway if you have excell

The actual accuracy and consistency of the information given on nutritional labels would blow the minds of a few people in here.

This is what I'm starting to think from some of the responses..

[JMLeafs]

I track macros and calories for every meal of the day including anything ingested in between like fruit juices, etc. I need to be absolutely sure I'm in caloric surplus.

I think you completely missed the point of my post.

[Roots47]

I think you completely missed the point of my post.

I figure out the ratios from protein, carbs, and fats down to the T for each meal, and for daily totals.

[JMLeafs]

I figure out the ratios from protein, carbs, and fats down to the T for each meal, and for daily totals.

annnd where do you get these ratios from?


exactly

[Roots47]

annnd where do you get these ratios from?


exactly

You multiply the protein and carbs by 4 and the fats by 9, then you get the percentage of those numbers out of the total calories...

[Roots47]

annnd where do you get these ratios from?


exactly

ohh, I didn't mean to hit reply to your post... duh

[JMLeafs]

You multiply the protein and carbs by 4 and the fats by 9, then you get the percentage of those numbers out of the total calories...

and where do you get these protein/carbs and fat values from? - The nutritional label.

Your macro recording is only as accurate as these values. Which can sometimes have a large deviation from actual.

[FlamingHomer]

and where do you get these protein/carbs and fat values from? - The nutritional label.

Your macro recording is only as accurate as these values. Which can sometimes have a large deviation from actual.

please provide evidence.

[thatsyuckybrah]

The actual accuracy and consistency of the information given on nutritional labels would blow the minds of a few people in here.

In what way?

[AlwaysTryin]

In what way?

Food labels are only estimates, not exact

[MooseLaddin]

guesstimate

[plummaa]

if you eat the same kinds of things everyday, you shouldn't need to be so meticulous

you should have a pretty good idea of size of meals, calories, proteins in most of the foods you eat often

[jdtemple]

I weigh just about everything I eat. One thing I do that's "wrong" is weigh my meat after it's cooked. It's more convenient that way.

There are also a few things that I don't count, like cocoa powder, psyllium husk, Frank's Red Hot, Sriracha, Jalepenos. Those things do have caloric values (although psyllium husk is debatable) but I'm not eating much of those things, anyway.

[Christiffer]

I mentally estimate most things. I never log what I eat. It all goes in my brain. I count calories and keep a rough eye on protein(already know fat is sufficient). As long as its consistent it'll work itself out, IMO.

[aeRoNz]

I mostly eat the same foods everyday, after a while you get a rough estimate of what macros you are taking in.

[SideSteal]

I log things on MFP and find it very easy and convenient. I'll weigh/measure anything that I think is calorie dense but I don't bother counting baby carrots or weighing spinach leaves/etc.

I also don't eat the same stuff every day and I'm not sure how anyone could do that. Doesn't that get boring as hell?

[Verbalcody]

I figure out my calories by counting up all the peanut butter sandwhiches i eat

[tjwoody]

When I log I am pretty accurate but dont sweat the small stuff.

When I dont log and eat like a pig I am not accurate. lol